Cambridge Inn on Main opened in 2022 in a historic Main Street space in Cambridge, Wis.
TONY BUONINCONTRO
There are hotel stays – and then thereƵ a stay in a Wisconsin boutique inn.
Owners of boutique inns in Wisconsin say they offer an experience thatƵ smaller, homier, and uniquely expressive of the communities they’re located in.
Cambridge Inn on Main
Tony Buonincontro, the owner of Cambridge Inn on Main in Cambridge, Wisconsin, said he was inspired to restore a historic Main Street storefront, whose second floor was a former longtime local law office, after he became stranded in another small town needing a place to stay. He found himself standing outside the front door of a boutique inn, which was that communityƵ only hotel.
A sign said “if you are looking for a room call this number,” he recalls. The man who picked up the phone shared a code for the door, told him to choose any room, and took his payment information remotely.
Buonincontro recalls seeing the genius in the business model of running a hotel remotely, for guests seeking peace and quiet and an intimate space.
Cambridge Inn on Main opened in 2022 in a historic Main Street space in Cambridge, Wis.
TONY BUONINCONTRO
He bought the building at 117 W. Main St., in Cambridge, in 2020, restored it and reconfigured the interior as a 6-room hotel and opened it in the summer of 2022.
It operates completely independently with reservations taken via travel websites, Airbnb, and Cambridge Inn on Main’s website, .
Each of the six guest rooms offer a different experience, with 1920s-era decor, but also modern Wi-Fi and “some modern amenities, but nothing that really looks modern, other than coffee maker, refrigerators and a small TV.”
Check-in is quick, and he characterizes the rooms as like a stay that feels “more like you're at your grandma's house than at a hotel.”
“I don't have sterile, crisp, bleach white sheets. Everything is soft, very soft, high microfiber sheets that are done in colors,” he said.
Cambridge Inn on Main opened in 2022 in a historic Main Street space in Cambridge, Wis.
TONY BUONINCONTRO
Jean Moore-Mallory has owned the M&M Victorian, 1393 Main St., in Marinette, Wisconsin, for 32 years and The Lauerman House Inn, also in Marinette, at 1927 Riverside Ave, for 26 years.
She said she opened them in a community and surrounding area with few other hotel options.
The Lauerman House was a bed and breakfast before she bought it. The M&M Victorian had been a rooming house until the 1970s. Her parents bought it in the 1980s and restored it. She later bought it from them. Over the years, she has added a commercial kitchen and two bar spaces for guests to use.
“People don't want to stay at chain hotels,” Moore-Mallory said. “We have beautiful beds, beautiful linens, beautiful bathrooms and this is a nice place for them.”
Cambridge Inn on Main opened in 2022 in a historic Main Street space in Cambridge, Wis.
TONY BUONINCONTRO
Her guests range from corporate business travelers to couples on their honeymoon.
Both homes are unassuming from the outside but unique inside.
The Lauerman House has an Italian villa vibe and a shocking pink living room with zebra print furniture, and every room a different color. M&M Victorian is cozier with warm colors and Victorian-style decor.
“They give different vibes,” Moore-Mallory said. Corporate guests “ love sleek, modern and clean lines. They stay at the Lauerman House. Honeymooners and people who enjoy history stay at the M&M.”
